


Fear of Flying

by EllynLives215



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Best Friends, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fear of Flying, Flying, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Sleepy Boys, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Undercover Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:01:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26358388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllynLives215/pseuds/EllynLives215
Summary: Steve and Tony are sent on an undercover mission and have to ride on a commercial plane. Tony shockingly has a fear of flying. So he takes a sleep aid because what could go wrong?
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 6
Kudos: 93





	Fear of Flying

“My god, is this what regular people have to endure all the time?” Tony says lowly, just after the flight attendant stops speaking. 

“Yes, now _hush_ before you blow our cover.” Steve hisses back, glancing around for any eavesdroppers. 

“But seriously, these seats are _tiny_ , how do people sit comfortably?” Tony continues though he does speak a little bit quieter. 

Steve sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I don’t think I’ve ever ridden coach in my entire life.” Tony adds, and Steve really doesn’t want to correct him that their seats are economy. 

When they pull onto the runway Tony’s tapping patterns with his fingers as he stares out the window past Steve wishing more that anything that stupid sleep aid would kick in already. 

Steve never would have guessed Tony had a fear of flying. Not in a million years. He remembers how he not so easily hid his shock when Tony casually mentioned he’d rather take a thousand lectures from Fury then get on that plane. 

“Would you stop vibrating already? I know you’re upset about this whole set up but the flight’s only been delayed ten minutes.” Steve chided, glancing over to Tony’s wildly bouncing leg. Who glared at him before slowing his movements.  
He leaned back in the chair folding his arms, “How much trouble do you think we’d be in if we took my private jet instead?” 

“ _We?_ ” Steve said, looking over at him alarmed. “No way in hell, that is _just_ you. I want to keep my head attached on my shoulders, thank you very much.”

Tony does chuckle lightly, “I’d still rather take ‘Fury’s wrath’ then that plane.” Steve gave him a strange look, noticing his flash of nervousness before he masked it adding, “What? I don’t like flying. You got a problem with that?”

Steve shook his head, he knew Tony well enough now to read the situation. He’d revealed more than was safe by his standard and now all defenses were trying to cover up the moment of vulnerability. There’s tension Steve doesn’t like and words like ‘It’s okay’ and ‘I understand’ won’t do shit in his book. 

“I-... ah.” Steve started, trying to push the right sentence out. “I don’t care much for flying either.” When he looked over, Tony was giving him this hard look of understanding. The kind shared between two people who’ve both seen things the other couldn’t begin to imagine. But share a common ground of faded memories that just don’t seem to fade. 

Their moment was broken by the flight attendant announcing the start of boarding from the back of the plane and forward. Now that Steve thinks about it flying isn’t really Tony’s fear. The suit is like a second skin to him, it’s never been an issue before. Tony’s swooped and dive bombed robots, plumed thousands of feet in missions. 

That’s the thing, he’d been in the suit. He’d had control, no matter the severity of the situation he’d still had a measure of control. But being on a commercial plane flown by someone else, no Iron man suit in sight. There wasn’t any control. 

Tony refused his offer for gum, He finds himself mumbling about his first time on a plane while he was on tour with the USO. All the girls we’re real nice about it, offering him gum, telling him how taking off was the worst part, one even offered him a shoulder massage. He’d declined of course but he said it was real nice of her. 

Steve’s trying to distract Tony at least a little. It’s mindless mumbling something he doesn’t actually expect Tony to listen too. He glances his direction and finds Tony watching him intently waiting for him to finish. Steve scrambles to remember what he was saying. 

Tony smiles lightly and Steve really hopes it was the right thing. 

They hit an hour and a half into the flight when Tony feels his eyelids start to droop. He goes to fix the head flaps on his seat to support his head when he finds out there aren’t any. 

That leads to a five minute whispering argument about the incompetence of this airline. That has Steve’s eyes crinkling at the corners in amusement. 

They watch the scenery pass for a while as they move farther and farther from the airport. Steve turns back from the window to point out a funky looking mountain and smirks at Tony having promptly passed out. He closes the window and pulls out the book he’d been meaning to start. 

Steve doesn’t really remember when Tony’s head slipped over into his shoulder, to be fair chapter four was really interesting. It’s comforting in a sense just to have a presence beside him.

It was a red eye flight and neither had gotten much sleep the night before. Steve’s happy to let Tony rest even if he’s got limited movement on one arm. 

Steve does notice Tony shifting restlessly during turbulence, brow furrowed in sleep. He’s trying to get comfortable leaning against the metal arm rest between him and his pillow. 

Steve smiles faintly, “Hey Tones.” He mumbles hoping no one can hear him. Tony doesn’t even move, he must be really tired. “ _Tony_.” Steve tries again, this time giving him a little shake with his shoulder. “Mmph.”

“You want me to lift the arm…?” “Is not that he‘avy.” Tony slurs eyes still closed and then as if to prove whatever he was thinking he lifts his left arm in the air. 

Steve snorts probably a little two loudly, “Here.” Steve pushes him up a little bit, and Tony squints looking around confused. His hair’s tousled and sticking up in places. He’s got a little crease on his cheek from Steve’s shirt, and he’s swaying around dazed with sleep. 

Christ, it’s endearing as hell. 

“Wazgo’non?- _oh_ … Mmmm.” Tony literally _melts_ on top of him when Steve scooches him over and wraps an arm around his waist. He hums nuzzling into Steve’s shoulder again, and it gives Steve this warm, fluffy feeling in his chest. 

He can’t exactly read now with one hand so he queues up the movie he’d planned for later on his phone. Plugging in the headphones and putting only one into his ear. It’s a different movie then what he’d expected but it keeps him intrigued. 

His mind just settles quietly in the moment watching the characters on screen. Tony’s breath is heating a spot on his shoulder as he exhales rhythmically. 

The flight attendant comes by a couple times passing out snacks and beverages, each time she smiles fondly at them and refills his drink. 

The Captain comes on the speaker informing them about some national park they’ll be passing in a minute or too. The sudden speaking must tug Tony out of sleep slightly; he lets out a small breathy noise of contentment and makes a tiny grabby motion for Steve’s shirt. Which he gets a hold of and uses it to cuddle himself closer. 

Out of nowhere Steve literally gets an abrupt overwhelming urge to _protect_. He’s reacting before his brain can correct the action. 

He slides his fingers soothing through Tony’s soft curls, and Tony purrs with pleasure again. 

Steve’s emotions just go absolute haywire, getting all simultaneously defensive and tender. Steve feels panic bubbling in the back of his throat because _What the fuck is happening right now?_

Tony takes that moment to curl his fingers more into Steve’s shirt like saying ‘Shut up, dipshit. And cuddle me.’ _God, Steve really wants to smack himself right now_. Tony’s breathing evens off into a slower rhythm as he drops deeper into rest. 

Steve somehow convinces himself this is good, That it’s probably the best sleep Tony’s had in awhile. Steve’s missed twenty minutes of his movie and almost completely forgot the story line so he has to go back. 

He doesn’t even notice he’s been running his fingers through Tony’s hair the whole time. 

The flight doesn’t last much longer after that, thank god. They’ve been flying all day. The Captain tells them they’re starting, they're decent and Steve glances down to Tony. He looks so relaxed Steve hates himself for having to wake him. 

Steve finally gets him coherent enough that he can get his stuff back together. Even though Steve ends up doing the most of it. The plane bumps to a stop and they wait their turn to get off. 

Tony is an absolute zombie the entire time. He drags his bag the wrong way for a while and Steve chuckles has to correct it for him. 

They’re standing by baggage claim when Tony mumbles something about the ‘flight being shorter than he thought’ and Steve grins so hard his face hurts. 

He doesn’t even think when reaching out to fix the bits of Tony’s hair still sticking out in places. It’s so adorable Steve might die if he doesn’t. 

When they get in the car Tony gets a chance to pass out again. But after the second time bonking his head on the wall he wonders what was so damn comfortable about that airplane seat. 

The next time Steve actually hears the noise of the collision, Tony groans. Steve tried so very hard to stifle his snort and is so very not successful. 

“That’s it.” Tony announces, popping off his seat-belt. “You’re my pillow now.” He clambers over without warning and sprawls right over Steve. 

If Steve had to guess what would happen next (which he didn’t) he might have thought Tony would put his head on Steve’s legs or a position similar to before. 

Most definitely not Tony plopping himself right in Steve’s lap and burying his face into Steve’s neck. 

“ _Ack!_ … Tony, how many sleep aids did you take…?” “Too many…” Tony grumbles, snuggling into him with no sign of moving. This was absolutely not the kind of start of the mission he was expecting.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah. I wrote this while riding a plane. The guy next to me thought I was about to destroy someone with how fast I was typing.


End file.
